Wafer Processing Equipment

ABSTRACT

A wafer processing equipment, for use in operations of cutting and grinding wafers, comprises a driving device and at least one processing wheel. The driving device has a spindle extending therefrom, which can be fitted with a locking member. The processing wheel is coupled to the spindle of the driving device. The processing wheel defines a through hole at a center thereof, whereby the spindle of the driving device can be inserted through the through hole of the processing wheel to be fitted with the locking member, so that the processing wheel can be securely coupled to the spindle. The processing wheel can be selected to be a cutting wheel or a grinding wheel. As such, only one set of wafer processing equipment is adequate in performing both of cutting and grinding operations, thereby reducing the working space required for processing wafers and lowering the manufacturing cost.

(a) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wafer processing equipment and, more particularly to a wafer processing equipment with dual functions of cutting and grinding, whereby the processing wheel thereof can be selected to be a cutting wheel or a grinding wheel so as to meet the manufacturing demands.

(b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The manufacturing process for integrated circuits or chips is complicated, which involves many processing steps. The process begins with manufacturing a silicon crystal ingot by using a crystal puller for growing the ingot, which is a single crystal structure being started from a perfect silicon crystal seed with supply of a highly refined silicon heated in the furnace of the puller. Thereafter, the ingot is finely sliced into blank wafers, which then goes through a series of processing steps to create patterned wafers. Finally, the patterned wafers are processed with packaging, the process of which involves dicing or cutting, wire bonding, molding, and inspection. In the dicing or cutting step, each patterned wafer is cut into a plurality of dies.

For reducing the cost of manufacturing chips and the amount of waste wafers, the industry for recycling waste wafers has been gradually developed, in which the waste wafers can be reclaimed and processed. The process may include grinding operations to allow each die cut from the waste wafer to meet the thickness requirement of a specification, so that the recycling industry should purchase a grinding equipment to perform the grinding operations in addition to a cutting equipment. As such, the cost of reclaiming the waste wafers will increase. Also, the grinding equipment will occupy additional space in the recycling plant. Thus, there is a need to provide a wafer processing equipment with dual functions of cutting and grinding to mitigate the above disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a wafer processing equipment for use in operations of cutting and grinding wafers, which comprises a driving device and at least one processing wheel. The driving device has a spindle extending therefrom, which can be fitted with a locking member. The processing wheel is coupled to the spindle of the driving device. The processing wheel defines a through hole at a center thereof, whereby the spindle of the driving device can be inserted through the through hole of the processing wheel to be fitted with the locking member, so that the processing wheel can be securely coupled to the spindle. The processing wheel can be selected to be a cutting wheel or a grinding wheel, which depends on the requirement of a specification. As such, only one set of wafer processing equipment is adequate in performing both of cutting and grinding operations, thereby reducing the working space required for reclaiming wafers and lowering the manufacturing cost.

In use, the locking member is simply disassembled from the spindle; then, a processing wheel, either a cutting wheel or a grinding wheel, is selected to be fitted to the spindle; and finally, the locking member is secured to the spindle, so that the processing disk can be securely coupled to the spindle. As such, the present invention allows the processing wheel to be quickly changed to meet the manufacturing demands.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a wafer processing equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the processing wheel is a grinding wheel.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the wafer processing equipment of the embodiment, wherein the processing wheel is a cutting tool.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a wafer processing equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4. is an assembled view of a wafer processing equipment of the present invention, wherein a cooling device is mounted.

FIG. 5. is an assembled view of a wafer processing equipment of the present invention, wherein the cooling device is dismounted.

FIG. 6. is a schematic view of a wafer processing equipment of the present invention, which is processing a wafer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

To allow the features, advantages, and effects of the present invention to be fully understood, embodiments together with the accompanying drawings are taken as examples to illustrate the present invention in the following. However, they are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention discloses a wafer processing equipment, which can be used in operations of cutting and grinding wafers. The wafer processing equipment generally comprises a driving device 1 and at least one processing wheel 2.

The driving device 1 is adapted to be mounted on a preset working machine (not shown), the driving device 1 having a spindle 11 extending therefrom, which can be fitted with a locking member 12.

The processing wheel 2 can be securely coupled to the spindle 11 of the driving device 1, wherein the processing wheel 2 defines a through hole 21 at a center thereof. In use, the processing wheel 2 can be selected to be a cutting wheel (see FIG. 2) or a grinding wheel (see FIG. 1), which depends on the manufacturing demands.

Furthermore, the wafer processing equipment may further comprise a cooling device 4 adapted to be mounted on the working machine (not shown). The cooling device 4 is provided with an inlet 41 and an outlet 42, wherein the outlet 42 is located adjacent to the processing wheel 2. The inlet 41 is adapted to be connected to a liquid source (not shown), so that liquid from the liquid source can flow into the inlet 41 and flow out of the outlet 42, wherein liquid from the liquid source is served as a coolant.

Therefore, the spindle 11 of the driving device 1 can be inserted through the through hole 21 of the processing wheel 2. The locking member 12 can be fitted to the spindle 11, toward the processing wheel 2, so as to clamp the processing wheel 2, so that the processing wheel 2 can be securely coupled to the spindle 11. As an example, the spindle 11 can be provided with external threads while the locking member 12 can be provided with internal threads, whereby the locking member 12 can be threadedly coupled to the spindle 11.

As shown in FIG. 6, when performing the operation of cutting a wafer 5, the processing wheel 2 can be selected to be a cutting wheel (see FIG. 2), which can perform horizontal and vertical cuttings to form a plurality of dies or chips on the wafer 5. On the other hand, when performing the operation of grinding a wafer, the processing wheel 2 can be selected to be a grinding wheel (see FIG. 1), which can perform grinding operations for the wafer or dies to allow the wafer or dies to meet the thickness required for a specification. As such, only one set of wafer processing equipment is adequate in performing both of cutting and grinding operations, thereby reducing the working space for processing the wafer and lowering the manufacturing cost. In use, the locking member 12 is simply disassembled from the spindle 11; a processing wheel 2, either a cutting wheel or a grinding wheel, is selected to be fitted to the spindle 11; and then the locking member 12 is secured to the spindle 11, so that the processing disk 2 can be securely coupled to the spindle 11. As such, the present invention allows the processing wheel 2 to be quickly changed to meet the manufacturing demands.

The outlet 42 is located adjacent to the processing wheel 2. When the wafer 5 is performing a cutting or grinding operation, liquid flowing out of the outlet 42 can be used as a coolant to prevent the wafer 5 from overheating.

Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the wafer processing equipment of the present invention may further comprises a clamping mechanism 3 fitted around the spindle 11, which includes a first clamping disk 31, a second clamping disk 32, and a covering disk 33. The first clamping disk 31 is provided with a raised portion 31 corresponding to the through hole 21 of the processing wheel 2 and defines a through hole 312 at the center of the raised portion 31. The second clamping disk 32 defines a through hole 321 at a center thereof whereas the covering disk 33 defines a through hole 331 at a center thereof. In assembling parts, the spindle 11 of the driving device 1 can be inserted through the through hole 312 of the first clamping disk 31, whereas the raised portion 311 of the first clamping disk 31 can be inserted into the through hole 21 of the processing wheel 2. Also, the spindle 11 of the driving device 1 can be sequentially inserted through the through hole 321 of the second clamping disk 32 and the through hole 331 of the covering disk 33 to allow the processing wheel 2 to be located between the first clamping disk 31 and the second clamping disk 32. Finally, the locking member 2 can be fitted to the spindle 11, toward the covering disk 33, so as to clamp both of the clamping mechanism 3 and the processing wheel 2, so that the processing wheel 2 can be coupled to the spindle 11 more securely.

As described above, the cooling device 4 can be mounted on the working machine to cool the wafer when cutting or grinding operations are being performed (see FIGS. 1-4). Nevertheless, the cooling device 4 can be dismounted from the working machine when unnecessary (see FIG. 5).

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure is made by way of example only and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. A wafer processing equipment for use in operations of cutting and grinding wafers, which comprises: a driving device adapted to be mounted on a preset working machine, said driving device having a spindle extending therefrom, which can be fitted with a locking member; and at least one processing wheel coupled to said spindle of said driving device, wherein said processing wheel defines a through hole at a center thereof, whereby said spindle of said driving device can be inserted through said through hole of said processing wheel to be fitted with said locking member, so that said processing wheel can be securely coupled to said spindle.
 2. The wafer processing equipment of claim 1, wherein said processing wheel is selected to be a cutting wheel.
 3. The wafer processing equipment of claim 1, wherein said processing wheel is selected to be a grinding wheel.
 4. The wafer processing equipment of claim 1, which further comprises a clamping mechanism fitted around said spindle, said clamping mechanism including a first clamping disk, a second clamping disk, and a covering disk, wherein said spindle of said driving device is sequentially inserted through said first clamping disk, said processing wheel, said second clamping disk, and said covering disk, so that said processing wheel is located between said first clamping disk and said second clamping disk, and wherein said locking member is fitted to said spindle to have said clamping mechanism and said processing wheel securely coupled to said spindle.
 5. The wafer processing equipment of claim 4, wherein said first clamping disk is provided with a raised portion corresponding to said through hole of said processing wheel and defines a through hole on said raised portion, whereby said spindle of said driving device can be inserted through said through hole of said raised portion, whereas said raised portion of said first clamping disk can be inserted into said through hole of said processing wheel.
 6. The wafer processing equipment of claim 4, wherein said second clamping disk defines a through hole, whereby said spindle of said driving device can be inserted through said through hole of said second clamping disk.
 7. The wafer processing equipment of claim 4, wherein said covering disk defines a through hole, whereby said spindle of said driving device can be inserted through said through hole of said covering disk.
 8. The wafer processing equipment of claim 1, which further comprises a cooling device adapted to be mounted on the working machine, said cooling device provided with an inlet and an outlet, said outlet located adjacent to said processing wheel, said inlet adapted to be connected to a liquid source, whereby liquid from the liquid source can flow into said inlet and flow out of said outlet.
 9. The wafer processing equipment of claim 8, wherein liquid from the liquid source is served as a coolant. 